The present invention relates to lockable instrument panel covers of a type mounted for movement between an operative position covering and protecting instruments from vandalism and a stored position permitting visual and/or manual access to instruments carried by the panel.
The use of lockable instrument panel covers on vehicles or equipment, which are often left unattended at unsecured work sites for extended periods of time, is commonplace. While designers of these prior art covers have attempted to create covers which are effective, inexpensive and ones which operators will find easy, convenient and acceptable to use, many of the covers suffer inadequacies relative to one or more of these design criteria.
For example, as concerns effectiveness, the mountings of many of the covers are such that the covers can easily be opened by using ordinary tools and/or pry bars and the like; and, as concerns operator acceptability, many of the covers are prone to rattling when placed in their stored positions resulting in their being removed by the operators.